Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, evolved from a humble town in the 1850’s to become the modern, vibrant city it is today.
Busy day of sightseeing in KL and started off at the King’s Palace.
The King left whilst we were there together with his motorcade.
Then we watched the changing of the horses
Our next visit was to the National Monument, a beautiful remembrance for those lost during the wars
Then onto Masjid Negara Mosque, a modern building built in 1965 which accommodates 15,000 people.
Some interesting buildings around
Next stop Independence Square or Merdeka Square, which is a large field which once hosted cricket matches. On one side is the mock tudor Royal Selangor Club. The Square is the venue for many national events and is where the union flag was finally lowered on 31 August 1957 when Malaysia gained its independence.
A visit to Chinatown was next which was a busy maze of narrow streets where you can pick up a “genuine” Chanel handbag for £10!!!
In case we hadn’t done enough shopping our next stop was the Central Market housed in an Art Deco building built in the 1930’s which was formerly the main fresh produce market but now houses all sorts of handicraft shops and food. It was rescued from dereliction and reopened in 1980.
It was also possible to get an ice cream in the shape of the Petronas towers!
Just round the corner from the market was, Masjid Jamek, the oldest Islamic place of worship in KL. It sits on the confluence of two rivers where we saw some otters and a monitor lizard.
Last stop of the day was to the Petronas Towers. 1483 ft high with 88 storeys, an international symbol of KL and modern Malaysia. Designed by Cesar Pelli, the same architect as Canary Wharf, completed in 1998. Quite a sight.
Evening with the girls in a restaurant close to the hotel and a couple of pictures on the way back
